Suffered, Died, Buried - In the Fullness of Time

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

The Jewish historian, Josephus, says that Pilate was “sent by Tiberius as prefect to Judaea”2 and that he condemned Jesus “to the cross.”3 The Roman historian, Tacitus, records how “Christus…suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”4

Both Philo and Josephus record numerous incidents in which Pilate offended the Jewish people with both his cruelty and his insensitivity to their religious beliefs and how he relented when they threatened to go to Caesar.5 Josephus records an incident in which Pilate used sacred money from the Temple treasury to build an aqueduct to bring water into the city. When many Jews protested, he had them beaten by his soldiers, resulting in many deaths.6

These ancient texts paint a picture of a cruel man who attempted to impose the Roman peace on Judea with an iron fist. He was also self-seeking, and attempted to keep reputation in good standing with the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.

The Pilate Stone

Archaeological evidence for Pontius Pilate was discovered in 1961, when an inscribed stone was unearthed in excavations near the theater at Caesarea Maritima. The limestone block was originally part of a dedication to Tiberius Caesar, although the stone had been reused as part of a flight of steps during fourth century repairs to the theater.7 Three of the original four lines of text are still readable and can be reconstructed to read, “Tiberium…Pontius Pilate…Prefect of Judea…” It is clear that the stone was originally part of a structure called a Tiberium, possible a temple dedicated to Tiberius Caesar.8

John 18:33–40 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 The Resurrection of Christ 15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.  3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Galatians 4:3-7 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Message Prayer •

Heavenly Father, we come before you in the name of your Son, Jesus. You sent Him to take on our sin, to suffer your wrath for all people. In Him there is Life over death. Lord, You did this on Your time, in our History, for all People. Help us to share this Good News in Jesus’ Name, Amen.